Xi'an delegation promotes cultural & tourism exchanges in Kyrgyzstan

During the May Day holiday, a delegation from Xi'an, one of the hottest tourist destinations in Shaanxi province in Northwest China, visited Kyrgyzstan for cultural and tourism exchange activities, aiming to  deepen cultural and tourism cooperation and exchange.

The delegation from Xi'an Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism visited a local middle school in Donggan village, Tokmok city on May 3. The school is an 11-year Donggan educational institution that integrates primary, middle, and high school levels. In addition to Kyrgyz and Russian, Donggan language is also part of the curriculum. In their daily lives, the Donggan people communicate in the "Donggan language", which blends the Shaanxi and Gansu dialect of Chinese with Persian vocabulary.

Zuo Dong, deputy director of Xi'an Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, inquired in detail about the school's educational situation, and emphasized that the friendship between China and Kyrgyzstan should focus on cultivating children by offering Chinese courses in order to let them can both speak and write Chinese in the future. When learning about the shortage of Chinese language teachers in the school, Zuo told the principal, "You can send people to Xi'an for training, and we can also organize volunteers to support you."

Afterwards, the delegation went to visit the Donggan Historical and Folk Museum. The museum's collection features an array of items, including daily necessities and production tools that the Donggan people brought with them during their migration from China to Central Asia, such as guillotine and woodworking planer. The exhibition hall also displays embroidered shoes worn by Donggan brides at their weddings, large red robes embroidered with dragon and phoenix patterns, and other ornate decorations. Additionally, the museum preserves newspapers and magazines from various historical periods, which were founded by Donggan community. These publications offer a vivid glimpse into the social life and cultural dynamics of that time.

In the afternoon, the delegation journeyed to Suyab, the birthplace of the famous Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai. This ancient city, constructed in the architectural style of the Tang era, is situated near Tokmok. At the site of Suyab, delegation members respectfully placed offerings such as liquor, flowers, and fruits brought from Xi'an on the altar, paying homage in traditional fashion and expressing their deep reverence.

As the visit to Suyab came to an end, the delegation serendipitously encountered Zholdoshev, director of the Cultural Relics Protection Department of the Kyrgyz Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Zholdoshev was accompanying a cultural relics and archaeology team from the Dunhuang Academy on an exploration and inspection tour. The two sides engaged in a cordial and amicable exchange.